"Self defence, or another vigilante murder?"

[Lee Davis]

That was the headline in the Albuquerque Journal on July 6, 09. In Belen, New Mexico on the night of July 4, an individual was driving past Enchantment Propane when he saw a suspicious van leaving the business. He called 911 and was giving the operator details of a suspected burgulary, and followed behind the van trying to give the operator a license plate number. The van supposedly stopped quickly and an individual got out of the van, hurried back to the following car and smashed the driver's window with an 'object'. He then started punching the driver and attempted to pull him out through the broken window... while the driver was on the phone with the 911 operator! The driver, an ex marine MP, shot and killed the assailant. The van was later found driven into a field by the alledged accomplice, with items supposedly burglarized from the business (the alledged accomplice later turned himself in to Belen Police.). The headline seemed inappropriate to me, but came about because of an earlier incident where a man followed a suspected wrongdoer for 4 blocks before shooting him. This shooter has been booked on murder charges, and released. Need we consult the news media or a lawyer before defending ones life nowadays?

 

[MLeake]

Doubt this will get past the grand jury phase...

... if it gets that far. The broken window in the ex-Marine's vehicle should tell its own story quite well. And this was Albequerque, not Santa Fe, so I think the grand jury members will be more predisposed to side with the shooter.

 

[Evan Thomas]

This case has been been discussed already in this thread.

The murder charge seems a bit much. Even those of us who believe that there is such a thing as "vigilante murder" thought so...

 

[Al Norris]

Since the other thread is still open for comments, I suggest you all make them there.

This one is closed for being a duplicate thread.